Shoe sanitizer



Sept. 25, 1951 M. E. SPECIAL 2,569,079

SHOE SANITIZERS Filed Oct. 31, 1950 'INVENTOR Michael E. Special ATTORNEY i atented Sept. 25, 195 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,569,079 sHoE SANITIZER.

Michael E. Special, New York, N. Y. Application October 31, 1950, Serial No. 193,251

2 Claims. (01.250-51) This invention relates to shoe sterilizers. More particularly this invention proposes to provide special sanitizing apparatus employing the germicidal effect of ultraviolet rays for deodorizing as well as sterilizing the interior of shoes.

It is an object of this invention to provide such shoe-sanitizing apparatus that is simple, compact and convenient to manipulate; more particularly to provide such apparatus that will allow ready insertion of the light tube into a shoe in such a manner that by the very act of inserting it the tube is properly positioned within the shoe, with the tube properly spaced from the interior faces of the shoe, yet so positioned as to produce the desired sanitization and deodorization eifect; and further to provide simple and effective protective structure for the tube, such as will not interfere with its radiation and germicidal effect, and will moreover guide and position the shoe relative to the light tube.

Since the users eye should normally be protected against direct exposure to the ultraviolet light, it is a further object to provide a shoesterilizing device in which th light tube is surrounded by transparent although suiiiciently tinted shielding means with a section thereof movable out of the way when a shoe is applied to the apparatus whereupon the shoe itself serves as a shield, the movable section to be restorable to its light-shielding position incident to the removal of the sterilized shoe from the device.

These objects are attained by providing apparatus comprising a base with a light tube of inverted U-shape rising therefrom, and a tubeprotecting guard or guard structure in the form of a stiff wire of inverted U-shape also rising from the base and extending substantially coplanar with the tube, the tube extending between and substantially parallel to the shanks of the guard structure.

The guard structure is shaped so as to adapt itself to the interior of the shoe, to serve asa guide for the shoe being placed onto the apparatus, and to serve as a spacing and positioning means for the tube relative to the interior of the shoe.

The shielding means comprise a fixed upright wall section rising from the base and half-way 2 to normally surround the tube, but swingabie downwardly when applying the shoe thereto.

According to one feature the U-shaped guard structure assumes skeleton-like resemblance to a shoe tree by having its upper end portion swept towards the fixed shielding portion; the guard structur comprises vertical shank portions rising from the base, and a swept back top end portion adapted to reach centeringly into the tip of the shoe with the heel end portion of the shoe holding the swingable shield portion down against spring pressure. Removal of the shoe from the guard structure will allow the swingable shell to return automatically to its lightshielding position.

According to another feature the normally upright swingable shell-like shielding section comprises a hinged body portion, a tongue-like top end portion which extends substantially horizontally from the top end of the vertical body portion and in between the shanks of the guard. structure above the top end of the light tube, andi a pair of wing-like lateral portions extending; from respective sides of the body portion and. atright angles to the plane thereof and co-ex-- tensive with the tongue-like top end portion.

The wing-like lateral portions extend upwardlya distance above the horizontal plane of the top end portion and form with the lateral edges of? that plane elongated horizontally extending recesses for accommodating therein the shank portions of the guard wire.

According to a practical embodiment this shoesterilizing apparatus comprises a twin unit upon which a pair of shoes can be sterilized or sanitized.

The best embodiment of this invention now known .to me is shown and described herein but it is to be understood that it is used solely in an illustrative sense and in no wise a, limiting one.

surrounding the tube as well as the guard, and

for obviously certain changes and rearrangemen'ts can be made while still making use of the invention whose limits are defined in the appended claims but equivalents of elements specified therein are to be included in defining them.

Figure 1 is a rear view of the shoe sanitizer apparatus with ultraviolet light tubes, tube guard structure, both fixed and movable light-shielding sections, with parts of the movable sections broken away to show the ultraviolet light tubes.

Figur 2 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a top view of the apparatus taken on line 3-4 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged partial detail View of the mounting of the ultraviolet light These light tubes have associated with them guard structures I6 and I! respectively, but since.

they are identical, only the structure I6 need be described. The guard structure I6. is in the form, of a stifi wire bent to form an inverted U-shape having vertical shank portions 18 and I9 and a top end portion 20 bent or inclined with respect to the shank portions so as to form therewith an obtuse angle A.

These shank portions are rigidly connected to the base In in the manner indicated in Figure 4 by threaded ends 2| and 22 of the shank portions being fastened to the base as by pairs of nuts 23, 24 and 25, 26 respectively. The relative lengths of the shank portions l8, l9 and of the inclined top end portion 20 are indicated by l1 and [2 respectively.

The shank portions of the guard structure have between them and in a plane therewith, the light tube II. The other light tube [2 is similarly disposed with respect to its guard structure I! which has vertical shank portions substantially in a plane with similar shank portions of guard structure [6.

The base as seen in, the plan View of Figure 3 has a D-shaped outline, the light 21 of the D-shape representing the front, the straight part 21 of the D-shape representing the rear of the apparatus. Looking at the side view in Figure 2 it will be noted that the sockets l4 and I are disposed fairly close to the straight part 28 of the base, as is indicated by the relative lengths of distances at and b.

Shielding means for the light tubes comprise an open-sided fixed upright wall section 29 and a pair of swingable open-sided tube-guarding and shielding sections 30 and 3|. The fixed shielding section or shield 29 is of tinted plastic sheet material and hugs the light 2'! of the D-shape in clasp-like fashion (see Figure 3) the end points of the clasp being indicated at 32 and 33.

Since the swingable tube-guarding sections or shields 30 and 3| are alike, only shield 30 need be described. It is hinged to the base [0 at the straight part 28 thereof, a hinge 34 being shown fastened to the base as by screws 35 and 36, and having a coil spring 31 for urging the shield 30 in to upright shielding position. This shield then extends substantially within thev space deiined by the fixed shield 29.

l The swin able shield 30 is of generally shelilike or trough-like appearance,' and comprises a flat substantially vertical body portion 38 the bottom edge of which is hinged to the base ill. a tongue-like top end portion 39 extending from the top end of the body portion substantially horizontally over the top end ofthe tube II and thus extending in between the shank portions 4 of the associated guard structure I6 far enough towards the fixed shield 29 to effect shielding in a complementary fashion with respect thereto. The shield 30 further comprises a pair of lateral wing portions 40 and 4| extending from the side edges of the body portion coextensively with the top end portion 31, but having upward extensions 4i! and 4| respectively which rise above the plane of the top end portion 39 sufficiently to shield the user against light rays which may otherwise reach him through elongated recesses 42 and 43 (see also shield 3|) formed between wing portions 40 and 4| with the top end portion 3 9 which recesses accommodate the shanks of guide structure [6.

Figure shows the manner in which a shoe S is placed upon the apparatus, after the light tubes have been lit by pressing a switch button 3 reachable from the front of the apparatus through a finger opening 0. When the shoe is thus placed the guard structure [6 has its inclined top end portion l2 lodged centeringly in the toe of the shoe while extending substantially parallel to the sole of the shoe, the sole thus extending at a steep angle relative to the vertical shanks of the guard structure, with the heel end of the shoe engaging the swung down shield 30. The act of removing the shoe from the apparatus and from the tube II will allow the shield 30 to return from its swung down (dotand-dash line) position to its upright lights shie di p it qn- What 'I claim is:

1. Shoe sanitizing apparatus comprising a base, an inverted U-shape sanitizing light tube rising from the base, f xed open-ended open-sided light-shield rising from the base, an inverted U -s hape shoe-support having a pair of shanks rising vertically from the base and terminating in an upper end portion extendin inwardly at an obtuse angle to the shanks to enter the toe of the shoe for supporting the shoe with the heel portion thereof abuttingly located laterally oi the, base, and a swingable open-sided tubeshield opening oppositely to the fixed shield while spring-hinged to the base below the top thereef having a normally vertical body portion with an inwardly extending wing on each vertical side thereof and a horizontally extending top tongue, normally projecting between the shanks of the ShOfi-support adapted to be swung against spring-pressure from normal vertical tube-shielding position to abnormal horizontal position and to be retained therein when the'shoe is, emplaced onthe shank of the shoe-support.

2,. Shoe sanitizing apparatus according to claiin, 1. wherein each wing has its lower edge spaced from the hinged end of the body por. tion and is sloped upwardly from that portion.

MICHAEL E. SPECIAL.

REFERENCES CITED The fellowing references are of record in the file 9? th s Pat UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number ame Date ago s s Treinis May 21, 19 40 2, 9'i 26 Shapi Jall 26, 4. 2 ,3 50, 'O9l Bergman May 30, 1944 engages Sullivan Jan. 17, 1950 

